Adapted from the Technology
Glossary
Bob Jenkins, Trinity University
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| Asynchronous Learning | Any learning event where interaction is delayed over time. This allows learners to participate according to their schedule, and be geographically separate from the instructor. Could be in the form of a correspondence course or e-learning . Interaction can take use various technologies like threaded discussion. |
| Access time | Time from the start of one storage device access to the time when the next access can be started. Access time consists of latency (the overhead of getting to the right place on the device and preparing to access it) and transfer time. |
| Animated GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) | Graphic image on a Web page that moves - for example, a twirling icon or a banner with a hand that waves or letters that magically get larger. In particular, an animated GIF is a file in the Graphics Interchange Format specified as GIF89a that contains within the single file a set of images that are presented in a specified order. An animated GIF can loop endlessly (and it appears as though your document never finishes arriving) or it can present one or a few sequences and then stop the animation. Animated GIFs are frequently used in Web ad banners. |
| Asynchronous Learning Networks | Education and training modules or courses where students learn in self-paced online pedagogy in contrast to synchronized presentations in traditional classrooms or electronic classrooms. |
| Avatar | Interactive representation of a human in a virtual reality environment |
| Bandwidth | apacity (range) of transmission frequencies on a network as expressed in cycles per second (hertz) or bits per second that determines the amount of data, audio, and video that can flow over the network. The higher the frequency, the higher the bandwidth. |
| Baud | Unit of speed in data transmission, or the maximum speed at which data can be sent down a channel. Baud is often equivalent to bits per second |
| BBS | Bulletin Board Systems on the Internet that provide electronic bulletin board and conferencing services. |
| Bit | Contraction of binary digit, a bit is the smallest unit of information that a computer can hold. Eight bits is equivalent to a byte. The speed at which bits are transmitted or bit rate is usually expressed as bits per second or bps. |
| BMP | Bitmap graphics files that are accessible through Windows Paintbrush and most other PC graphics software. |
| bps | Bits per second. This is a measure of transfer speed that is commonly used in modems. |
| Broadband | Network transmission capacity that greatly exceeds capacity required for voice transmission over traditional telephone cables. Broadband networks may have dedicated portions for audio, video, and data or they may allow for capacity switching. |
| Browser | Type of software that allows you to navigate information databases examples are Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Explorer. |
| Byte | Number of bits used to represent a character. |
| Computer Based Training (CBT) | Training or instruction where a computer program provides motivation and feedback in place on a live instructor. CBT can be delivered via CD-ROM, LAN or Internet. Creation is done by teams of people including instructional designers, and often has high development costs. |
| Correspondence Course | A course completed from a distance using written correspondence for interaction and to submit assignments. Correspondence classes became popular in the 1890's. |
| Cache | Storage area in both RAM (cache memory) and disc drives (cache controllers) that keeps frequently accessed instructions more readily accessible. |
| CBT | Computer-Based Training in which the computer becomes a tutor for asynchronous learning that adjusts to each student's learning pace. |
| CD | Compact disc, an injection-molded optical disc containing digitized information that has been recorded with a laser device and must be read on a laser device. |
| CD-DVD | Digital Video (or Versatile) Disc combines the best features of CD-ROM size and data storage with capacity for video storage beyond that of videodiscs. DVD is so revolutionary that in the next decade it will probably replace VHS videotapes and CD-ROMs and videodiscs. |
| CD-R or CD-RW | depicts the recording (burning or transfer of files) to a CD, whereas CD "decoding depicts the reading of those files. |
| Chat Lines or Chat Rooms | Real time internet conversations (written or oral) that transpire in real (synchronous) time as opposed to conferencing (e.g., message board posting and topic classification. |
| Clipboard | A holding area that contains the most recently copied or cut text or image such that contents of the clipboard can be pasted one or more times into other parts of the document at hand or other documents. |
| Cookies | Applets that enable a web site to collect information about each user for later reference (as in finding cookies in the cookie jar). Web Browsers like Netscape Navigator set aside a small amount of space on the user's hard drive to record detected preferences. Cookies perform storage on the client side that might otherwise have to be stored in a generic-state or database server on the server side. Cookies can be used to collect information for consumer profile databases. Browsers can be set to refuse cookies. |
| CPU | Central Processing Unit that encompasses a computer's RAM, processing, and control circuitry, including the arithmetic-logic (ALU) unit. |
Page last updated May 8, 2006
Site authored by Jeff Getchell
